To varying degrees of success, those were hunted down pretty easily (although I regret never seeing the robotic Coke machine).

This time around, we had our quest to find the facial-recognition vending machines.

The machines, developed by a subsidy of the train company JR East Co., analyze your facial features to determine your age and gender and recommend a drink accordingly. They also change recommendations to match time of day and temperature. It uses algorithms such as men prefer canned coffee and women like slightly sweeter drinks.